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64 AHORA/frs Sept. 1l, 1923.

F. E. BECKER BELT BUCKLE Filed Nov. 18, 1921 Patented Sept. ll, i923.

FRANK E. BECKER, OIE NEVI YORK, N. Y.

BELT BUCKLE.

Application led November 18, 1921. Serial No. 516,098.

To all whom t may conce/rn:

Be it known that l, FRANK F. BECKER, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State 0f New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Belt Buckles, of which the following is a specification.

` This invention relates to belt buckles and the like, and is particularly concerned with buckles of the type which secure the belt by the frictional engagement of a clamping member.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a clamping device which will operate irrespective of the thickness of the belt and grip a thin belt as effectively as a heavier one, thus overcoming one of the main objections to buckles now commonly employed, in which the effectiveness of the grip varies with the thickness of the belt.

A furtherl object of the invention consists .in providinga belt buckle which may be manufactured entirely of stamped inet-al parts, thus rendering the same cheap to manufacture. i

The above and certain other objects and features of'the'invention, which will appear hereinafter, will now be described in detail with specific reference to one form of embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a view showing a front elevation of one form of buckle of my invention applied to a belt;

Figure 2 is a rear view of the buckle illustratcd in Figure l;

Figure is a cross-sectional view illustrating the action of the clamping device;

Fig. fl is a perspective view showing in detail the clamping member 2: and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the construction of tongue 3i Similar characters of reference designate similar parts in each of the several views.

The buckle illustrated in the drawing con sists of three separate sheet metal parts, namely a face plate l, a clamping member 2, and tongue 3. The plate l consists of piece of sheet material having a convex face 4t provided with sideflanges 5, these flanges being turned over at the forward end of the buckle to form guides a'for the free end of the belt. Y

The clamping member 2 and the tongue 3 are mounted in the rearward portion of the buckle on pivots 6 formed by projections integral with the tongue and extending through corresponding openings 8 in the clamping member 2 and through similar openings in the flanges 5 of the buckle plate. thc ends of these projections being riveted over to secure the parts in assembled posiv tion.

The clamping member is preferably made entirely of sheet metal which is bent 'to provide a convex surface 7. rlhis surface is eccentric to the axis of the pivotal openings 8 which are provided in flange portionsl'-l bent downwardly from the convex portion 7. Owing to the eccentricity of surface the belt l0 will be clamped between the face portion of the buckle l and the said eccentric surface, when tension is applied to the left end of the belt, as viewed in Figure 3. The pressure of the clamping device increases `with the tension applied to the belt and is entirely independent of the thickness of the belt, thevelfect of a. thin belt beingl merely to cause a greater anti-clockwise movement of the clamping device before the desired clamping effect is obtained. The surface i' is corrugated or otherwise roughened, as illustrated in Figures 3 and to augment the force of the frictional engage ment. y l l The tongue 3 is provided with an opening` 1l for cooperating withl the looped end 10" of the belt. Adjacent the aXis of pivots G the tongue is provided with an upturned lip l2, the outer edge of which is arranged to lfrictionally engage the concave cylindrical surface 13 of the clamping member 2, this surface being concentric with pivots'G-G and being formed of material integral with the surface 7. The left ends of surfaces and 7 are preferably spaced a short distance from each other so as to permit of a slight resilient yielding movement of the surface i3 when engaged by tongue l2, so that a good pressure of contact is obtained in all angular positions of lip l2 relative to surface 13. The frictional engagement between the clampincV member and the tongue is sufficient to cause the member 2 to follow a clockwise lturn of the tongue 3 when the leftward pull of belt 11.0 is released. By this clockwise movement of the clamping member the pressure thereof on the belt is relieved so that the latter may be withdrawn from the buckle. Stops 14 are preferably provided in the flanges 5 of the buckle plete to prevent clockwise turning of the clamping member beyond the angular position necessary for effecting release of the belt.

It will thus be seen that by the buckle of the present invention, belts of all thicknesses are clamped with equal degree of effectiveness, different thicknesses of the belt causing merely different angular positions of the clamping member. ln practical use, the belt may be clamped by merely turning the tongue counterclockwise to substantially the position indicated in Figure 3, which position is the natural one when the belt is worn. During the above movement of the tongue the eccentric surface is caused to bear firmly against the belt so that any pull on the belt `vill merely cause firmer engagement of the clamping member. To release the belt, the tongue is turned clockwise through a Small angle, whereupon the clamping member is caused to disengage the belt, allowing the same to be withdrawn from the buckle. (lwing to the frictional engagement between `the tongue aiidvthe clanuiing` member the re- .lease is effective no matter what the relative angular position of the tongue relatively to the clamping member, this position being variable, of course, according to the thick ness of the belt. By the resilient engagement'between the surface 13 and the tongue. the parts are automatically compensated for wear and a good pressure of contact is constantly maintained.

i Although l. have herein shown and. described only one form of embodiment of the invention, it will be readily understood that many changes and modifications may be made therein within the scopeof the following claims, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, it being my intention 'to claim the same broadly in whatever form its principles may be employed.

That l claim is:

l.. ln combination, a clamping device comprising a pivoted eccentric member, said member having a surface substantially concentric with said pivot, and a member for frictionally engaging said surface to cause lrotation of said eccentric member.

2. A belt buckle comprising a plate, a member having an eccentric surface pivotally associated therewith to clamp one end of a belt between the said eccentric surfacel andthe plate, and a tongue for attachment to the other end of the belt. said tongue being provided with an extension and said lirst-mentioned member being provided with a. resilient portion for frictionally engaging the said evtcnsion` whereby the said clamping member may be operated out of clamping position.

3. In a belt buckle, a clamping device comprisl ig a pivoted eccentric member, a to gue 'l' attachment to one end of the belt and* cooperating means on said tongue and said member forv rendering said tongue effective to turn said member about its pivot irrespective of the angular position of said member.

4t.` ln a belt buckle, a clamping device comprising a pivotcd eccentric member, a tongue for attachment to one end of the belt, and means on said tongue and member in frictional engagement with each other for rendering said tongue effective to turn said member.

in a belt buckle, a face plate,.a tongue for attachment to one end of the belt, a clampinn member for cooperating with said face plate to clamp the belt, means for pivotally uniting said face plate, clamping member and tongue, said clamping member consisting of sheet metal having a clamping surface ceci-nitric to said pivots, and having a secoiul surface concentric to said pivots` and an extension on said tongue for frictionally engaging said concentric surface.

(i. In a belt buckle, a face plate, a tongue for attachment to one end of the belt, a clamping` member for cooperating with said face plate 'to clamp the belt, means for pivotally uniting said face plate, clamping` member and tongue, said clamping member being formed of a.- single piece of sheet metal bent to provide a clamping surface eccentric to said pivots, said eccentric surface being formed with a rearward extension having a surface substantially concentric to said pivots, and said tongue being formed with an extension for frictionally engaging said concentric surface. d

7. VIn a belt buckle, a face plate, tongue for attachment to one end of the belt, a clampingl member for cooperating with said face plate to clamp the belt, means for pivotally uniting said face plate, clamping member and tongue, the clamping member formed of a single piece of resilient sheet material bent to provide a clamping` surface eccentric to the pivots, said surface having an extension turned under said clamping surface and. being capable of yielding move# ment with respect thereto, said tongue being formed with an extcnsionfor engaging said firstnamcd extension and causing a slight yielding movement thereof so as to constantly maintain a sufficient pressure of contact therebetween.

ln testimony whereof l have affixed my signature to this specification.

FRANK E. BECKER. 

